Interventionism - And US Foreign Policy

I have been discussing the vicious effects of interventionism for the past two days: first, its effects on bureaucracy; and second, its effects on democracy.

Today, let us conclude this series by looking at what the USSA proudly calls its "interventionist foreign policy." As with all interventions, there are many who gain financially from such policies. In the USSA, these gainers are the infamous "military-industrial complex." While poor, misguided American soldiers are the "dogs of war," these profiteers from warring must be considered the "pigs of war." The more wars the USSA commits itself to, the more they gain. They buy up support in the legislature and among the US "power elite"; they control both the Democrat and Republican parties; they thus have huge influence on the presidency itself.

Yet, war is incompatible with the international division of labour. The USSA purports to make the world "safe" - but safe for what? The only answer to that is: Safe for trade, for peaceful exchange, for the international division of labour. It is indeed tragic that there are too few among the world's politicians who are spreading this message.

In our own backyard, the USSA is now involved in a protracted war in Afghanistan - and there is no telling when this war will end. History tells us that no one has ever won a war in Afghanistan. It would be much more prudent to encourage trade and commerce in Afghanistan than engage in this fruitless war. But prudence does not guide US foreign policy; interventionism does. So the pigs of war rule.

I think Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi and his CONgress party are doing our nation much harm by siding with the USSA in their Afghan misadventure. Our embassy in Kabul has been bombed several times and one of our ambassadors even killed. We are making enemies with Islam - and that may be the US foreign policy stance; it should not be ours. In this, the CONgress is just as bad as the BJP.

Thankfully, the US has Ron Paul, the only politician who stands for a strict non-interventionist foreign policy. All the world should support this good man and elevate him to the presidency of this important nation.

In my book, I see no reason for all this fuss over "radical" Islam. In reality, Islam is not one civilization; it is many civilizations. To our east, Malaysia and Indonesia are also Islamic - and peaceful The radicals are a fringe element - and they can be sidelined only by policies that encourage trade and commerce between peoples.

I seriously suggest that the USSA make peace with Islam by according most favoured nation status to Morocco and requesting their King to sort out the mess in Afghanistan. Let us all smoke the peace chillum together.

Boom Shankar!

And Om Shanti.